Chapters 20–23

Summary: Chapter 20

Candide still has a little money and a few jewels, and
hopes to use what he has to recover Cunégonde. His love and remaining
fortune momentarily renew his faith in Pangloss’s philosophy. Martin
the scholar, on the other hand, maintains that God has abandoned
the world because men kill and maim one another everywhere. En route to
Bordeaux, Martin and Candide watch a battle between two ships. One
ship sinks and its crew perishes. Candide finds his sheep in the
water and realizes that the defeated ship belonged to Vanderdendur.
Candide claims that there is some good in the world because Vanderdendur
has met with just punishment, but Martin asks why Vanderdendur’s
crew had to die with him.

Summary: Chapter 21

When the coast of France is in sight, Candide asks Martin
if he has ever been to Paris. Martin says he has, and describes
his previous encounters with the French and his disgust at what
he calls their lack of manners. Candide asks Martin why the world
was made, and Martin replies, “To make us mad.” Candide then asks
Martin if he believes that men have always done evil things to one
another. Martin replies with a question, asking Candide if hawks
have always eaten pigeons. When Candide answers yes, Martin counters
that if the rest of nature’s beasts do not change, then men do not
either. Candide disagrees, claiming that men have free will.

Summary: Chapter 22

The ship arrives in France, and Candide buys a carriage
so that he and Martin can continue to travel together. They decide
to visit Paris, but Candide becomes ill upon arriving at their hotel.
Candide wears a large diamond on his hand that attracts a great
number of new friends, including two physicians, who force their
services on him. The physicians only succeed in making Candide sicker.
Candide and Martin meet an abbé of Perigord and play cards with
him and his friends. The other players cheat, and Candide loses
a great deal of money. The abbé takes Candide and Martin to visit
the Marquise of Parolignac. While there, Candide argues with a philosopher about
whether everything is for the best in this world. The philosopher
states that the world is in a state of “unending warfare.” The Marquise
seduces Candide and steals his jeweled rings.

By manipulating Candide, the abbé learns that Candide
has not received a letter from Cunégonde. The next morning, Candide receives
a letter signed “Cunégonde” with the news that she is ill in Paris
and wishes him to visit her. Candide and Martin are conducted into
a dark room. The maidservant explains that Candide may not view
Cunégonde because light would be harmful to her. Candide gives diamonds
and gold to the woman he believes to be Cunégonde. The abbé arrives
with a squad of officers and orders Martin and Candide arrested
as “suspicious strangers.” Candide bribes an officer with diamonds,
and the officer lets them go. The officer’s brother, after being
given more diamonds, puts Candide and Martin on a ship bound for
England.

Summary: Chapter 23

When the ship is near shore, Martin and Candide witness
the execution of an admiral. They learn that England executes admirals
periodically to encourage the rest of the fleet to fight harder,
and that this particular admiral was sentenced to death for failing
to incite his men to get closer to the enemy during a battle with
the French in Canada. Candide refuses to set foot in England and
arranges for the captain of the ship to take him to Venice, where
he is certain he will be reunited with Cunégonde.

—You see, said Candide to Martin, crime
is punished sometimes; this scoundrel of a Dutch merchant has met the
fate he deserved. —Yes, said Martin; but did the passengers aboard
his ship have to perish too?

Analysis: Chapters 20–23

Martin is a foil to Pangloss. He does not believe that
everything is for the best in this world, nor does he believe in
some natural “good.” He acknowledges the evil side of human nature.
For Martin, the presence of evil in the world does not inspire convoluted
logical justification. Candide tries to counter Martin’s arguments
by citing the idea of free will. However, free will does not solve
the dilemma of the presence of evil in a world created by a perfectly good,
omniscient, omnipotent Christian God.